Seeds of Faith
by unicorn-skydancer08
Summary: When Tumnus and Lucy’s daughter falls deathly ill, they, in addition to all residing at Cair Paravel, must put their faith and trust in Aslan, and hope for the child to be made well again…if it be the Lion’s will.
1. Chapter 1

**SEEDS OF FAITH**

_While I was going over my stories, and contemplating what I ought to write next, the idea for this came to mind. It seemed too good a story to pass up, so I quickly jotted the general plot down while it was still fresh in my memory. I now offer you all the first chapter. I don't expect this to be too terribly long of a story—it will really all depend on what enters my imagination—but whether long or short, I do hope you'll read it and enjoy it all the same. _

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Characters (with exceptions) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved.**

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Chapter 1**

It was a fine, glorious summer morning in Narnia. It was the perfect day to be outside and go blackberry-picking in the woods, and that was precisely what little Puck and Selena were doing with their father, Tumnus the faun. Terence, a young unicorn who maintained the appearance of a handsome white-haired man, who was Tumnus's best mate and Puck and Selena's legitimate guardian, was with them that day.

Together the little bunch had a very pleasant time strolling through the sun-dappled forest, with Terence teaching the children a silly, nonsensical song regarding a troll, a witch, a dwarf, a goat, and the ugliest dog who ever lived that nearly had Puck and Selena doubled over in laughter. Seeing and hearing his children's mirth and delight flooded Tumnus's heart with warmth, and he smiled affectionately at Terence.

How the faun loved it when it was like this: just the four of them, with no cares or worries or responsibilities to restrict them; nothing but the sun and the fresh air and the sweet song of the birds—and with the prospect of all the blackberries you could pick and eat. Tumnus was certainly looking forward to a lovely slice of blackberry pie when they returned home to Cair Paravel, or a thick slab of hot oven-fresh bread with blackberry jam spread over the top.

But for now, the faun was perfectly content just to be with his son, his daughter, and his best mate. He only wished his wife were there with them. But Lucy had some important affairs that day that she couldn't get away from, and she'd insisted that Tumnus and Terence go on ahead with the children, and come back with all the blackberries they could possibly carry.

Though Selena and Puck were disappointed at having their mother at Cair Paravel rather than with them, they were ecstatic to have Terence at their side.

Both children loved their godfather dearly; Terence was always full of fun, and could turn even the most ordinary, boring day into an adventure. In a way, the young half-human was like a second father to them. Having no real family of his own, Terence held his godchildren very close to his heart; and had he and Tumnus been blood brothers, they could never have been more dedicated to one another.

At length, Puck, who was the eldest of the children, asked Tumnus, "Are we there yet, Papa?"

Tumnus smiled at the lad and answered genially, "We're already there, my son."

Sure enough, when Puck looked ahead, there grew a good cluster of blackberry bushes around a sunny clearing, all of them loaded with shiny ripe berries. The bushes were crowded so densely together that it was impossible to see where they ended.

For just a moment, Tumnus stood quietly with Terence and his young ones, drinking in and savoring the sight. "It's so pretty!" said Selena softly, marveling at the beauty of the place.

"Yes," Tumnus had to agree with his daughter. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Couldn't have picked a better spot myself," Terence declared good-naturedly.

Puck then quickly dashed ahead of the group. "Come on, Papa," the boy cried, as he swung his empty wicker basket flamboyantly about. "Let's go!"

Tumnus chuckled heartily. "Keep your fur on, son; I'm coming!" He then turned to Terence. "While I go with Puck, Terence, can you watch Selena for me?"

"Of course, I can watch her," Terence replied nonchalantly. He looked down upon the girl. "See? I'm doing so right now, this very moment. And what a lovely sight she is this morning, if I do say so myself!"

This made Selena giggle.

Knowing what the young man was getting at, Tumnus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right, all right. _Will _you watch Selena for me, Terence? _Will _you stay with her, and make sure she's safe?"

"Sure thing, mate," said Terence grandly, now saluting the faun like a soldier, and giving Tumnus a roguish wink.

Tumnus just shook his head, half amused, half exasperated.

He then hurried to catch up with his son, and Terence encouraged Selena, "Come on, sweetie. Let's get those berries picked, before they turn to pulp in the sun."

Both Selena and Puck understood that blackberries were best picked early in the day, before the sun rose too high and the day got too hot. They were much less of a hassle to pick that way. As blackberries were extremely fragile, and popped off the plant at the lightest touch when ripe, it was most ideal to harvest them during the cool of the morning, when they were firmer and less prone to damage from clumsy handling.

Selena obediently followed after Terence as the man set off toward his own personal bush.

The yield of blackberries proved to be most outstanding this year. Never before had Tumnus or Terence or the children seen so many berries growing together at one time, and the berries were incredibly thick and plump and juicy.

Just one basket alone would last them well over a month.

Unable to resist, Puck shoveled a few of the berries into his mouth to taste them after Tumnus had loaded them into the basket, and they proved to be so delicious that the boy helped himself to more and more, until he was hooked. Soon, he was eating the berries as quickly as his father could pick them; and it wasn't long at all before the little faun's face and hands were stained bright purple, as if smeared with purple ink.

"Take it easy, son," Tumnus cautioned him. "Don't overindulge yourself."

"But these are so _good_, Papa!" Puck raved between bites, accidentally spitting out a little juice as he spoke.

"Keep this up, though, Puck, and you will become a blackberry yourself before you know it."

Puck's eyes grew wide at this prospect, but that didn't stop the youngster from cramming another dozen or so berries into his mouth.

Meanwhile, on his side of the clearing, Terence was busily loading up his own basket, whistling a cheery tune to himself as he strode from bush to bush.

But Selena loitered behind him, dragging her basket rather halfheartedly along. The little girl felt unusually tired, for some reason or another; and even though it was a pleasant day, she felt an odd chill envelop her. Truth be told, she had been feeling strange all morning.

She hadn't mentioned this to her godfather or her father, for she'd refused to miss out on their special little outing. But now it really dawned on her that she must be coming down with something dreadful. She felt hot, in spite of her chill, and she felt extremely lethargic; it took nearly all she had within her just to put one foot in front of the other. More than anything else in the world right now, the girl wanted to simply throw herself down in the grass and lie there for the rest of the day—more than a day, she wanted to sleep for the next hundred _years_.

"Come along, Selena," Terence called at some point over his shoulder. "Don't dawdle."

Selena had grown too tired and felt too poorly by then to answer her godfather outright.

All at once she stopped dead in her tracks, and she lost her grip on her basket and dropped it, sending her few berries scattering all over the grass. When Terence noticed this, he drew to an immediate halt himself and turned around. "Selena?" he said anxiously, knowing at that very instant that something was not right with his goddaughter. "Honey? What is it?"

She said nothing, but bent over and clutched fiercely at her head with both hands, feeling as though a bunch of white-hot knives were searing straight through it. Everything around her literally spun in circles before her eyes, and she felt horribly nauseous.

"Selena?" Terence said again, feeling genuine panic rise within him. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Still, the child would not answer him, but she let out an audible, pitiful moan.

Terence called out urgently to his friend, "Tumnus—I think something's wrong with Selena!"

Upon hearing this, Tumnus promptly stopped what he was doing and turned to his daughter. "Selena?" he gasped, and Puck looked up from his sticky fingers at the sound of his father's alarm. "Selena?" Tumnus repeated frantically, moving briskly toward his little girl. "Selena?"

But the only response he got from her was a very feeble, "Papa…"

And then Selena simply swayed to one side, and began to fall freely through the air. Terence swiftly rushed up and caught her just before she hit the ground, and he knelt and cradled her very gently within his lap, but the child was already out cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**SEEDS OF FAITH**

_Presenting part 2! This part's pretty short, but I feel it turned out okay. Tell me what you think of it! _

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Tumnus © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence (and Puck and Selena) © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved.**

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Chapter 2**

"Selena!" Terence yelled out vehemently, as he upheld the tiny faun's lifeless figure in his lean, strong arms. "Selena—speak to me!"

Within three seconds, Tumnus joined his friend, with Puck not very far behind. Tumnus was nearly beside himself as he threw himself to his knees in the cool grass and took his daughter away from Terence, into his own arms. "Selena!" the faun cried desperately, cradling his poor child fervently against his breast. "_Selena! _What is it, darling? Are you all right?"

But Selena said nothing. She just lay there, perfectly still and silent, with her eyes closed and her head tilted slightly to the side. Her face appeared pasty white in the sun.

"Selena?" said Puck timidly from over his father's shoulder, but still she did not move, or respond in any way.

"What happened?" Tumnus asked Terence.

"I don't know," his mate answered helplessly. "She seemed fine enough only a short time ago. And then she simply lost it somehow, and passed out."

Then Tumnus discovered just how warm Selena's body felt in his arms. With one arm still supporting her head and neck, he touched the girl's face gently with his free hand.

She was burning up!

"Oh, no!" Tumnus gasped. "Oh, dear Aslan, _no!_"

The dismay in his tone and countenance sent penetrating jolts of apprehension and dread through both Terence and Puck. "What?" Terence feared to ask. "What's wrong, mate?"

"We must get Selena back to Cair Paravel immediately," said Tumnus as he rose to his hooves, bringing Selena up with him. "Come on!" And without further delay, he turned and swiftly made way for the castle, just as fast as his nimble legs could possibly move him along.

Seeing and hearing his father in such distress frightened Puck almost as much as the sight of his unconscious sister, and the boy found he was no longer hungry for blackberries.

At a loss for words, he peered up at Terence, who bent down and scooped him up. "Let's go, Puck," was all Terence said, and he settled his godson onto his hip and hurried after Tumnus.


	3. Chapter 3

**SEEDS OF FAITH**

_Chapter 3 has now been completed! This part's considerably short, but it sure packs a punch, especially in the emotional field. Having undergone a similar experience myself not so very long ago, with my mom and all, describing the emotional turbulence of these characters was not a very difficult task. As always, I anticipate your feedback! (My mom's doing just fine, by the way. Things are going as well for her as can be expected. Even the doctors are impressed.) _

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Characters (most of them) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved.**

**

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Chapter 3**

"My lady," said one of the nymphs to Queen Lucy at Cair Paravel, "your husband has returned."

"Already?" Lucy asked in surprise. "But he and Terence had only just left! I wasn't expecting them back for another two or three hours, at the very least." Seeing the somber look upon the nymph's face, the queen asked apprehensively, "What has happened? Is Tumnus all right? Are Terence and the children all right?"

"It's your daughter, milady," the nymph told her gravely. "Something has come about her."

"Selena?!" That was all it took for Lucy to leap to her feet and tear out of the room. The nymph called for her to wait, but she paid no heed. And sure enough, when the young queen came across her husband and Terence, she found Selena lying quiescent within Tumnus's arms, and one look at Tumnus and Terence's faces revealed that something was terribly wrong. "Oh, Tumnus!" she cried, making an immediate beeline to him. "What happened? What has happened to Selena?"

"She is very ill, my dearest," said Tumnus grimly. "Feel how warm she is?"

Touching her daughter's damp brow with her hand, Lucy was alarmed at the burning heat that emanated from the little faun. "Oh, _no!_" she gasped.

Right at that moment, Susan and Peter and Edmund—Lucy's sister and brothers, and Puck and Selena's aunt and uncles—appeared, along with the Beavers and a couple of others. Upon hearing Lucy's dismay, and upon seeing Selena, a small clamor arose. Nearly everyone swarmed in on Tumnus and Lucy, leaving Terence and Puck in the background. Puck, who had been set upon his hooves again, huddled fearfully against his godfather's sturdy leg. Terence said nothing, but he laid one hand absentmindedly atop Puck's curly, blonde head.

"Mercy of the Lion, what happened here?" Peter demanded.

Tumnus explained the story to them, and Susan said empathetically, "Oh, the poor dear!"

Edmund, who stood the closest to Terence, asked the white-haired human, "Terence, why didn't you make Selena stay at the castle when you and Tumnus went out today?"

"I would have," Terence protested, "but she didn't tell me. She didn't tell any of us."

"Never mind," said Tumnus, having overheard. "The important thing now is to get Selena taken care of." He looked toward his wife. "While I put her to bed, Lucy, you go and fetch some cool water and clean rags."

Lucy was already on her way to do so, even before Tumnus had finished speaking. Tumnus then ordered Mrs. Beaver to prepare a warm pottage, and Mrs. Beaver readily made way for the royal kitchen. In the meantime, Susan rushed to retrieve some extra blankets for her niece, and Peter set out to attain a physician. Beaver and Edmund followed after Tumnus as the faun carried Selena to her room, while the others broke up and set off in a variety of directions. In the midst of all this commotion, Selena remained unconscious, and she lay like a limp sack of flour in her father's arms.

Before long, only Puck and Terence were left.

Poor Puck, who had been completely disregarded by everyone during the hullabaloo, was all but frightened to death. Something bad was going on, the boy acknowledged; something very, very bad indeed. What was going to happen now? Would Selena be all right? At least a thousand troubling questions and scenarios whirled continually through Puck's little mind, and he began to tremble all over, from head to hoof.

Terence could tell his godson was distraught. "Don't worry, Puck," the man said gently, wrapping the young faun warmly in his arms in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm sure your sister will be all right. Your parents will know what to do."

"I'm scared, Uncle Terence." Tears welled up in Puck's eyes, and he struggled to not cry.

Terence's heart melted for him, and he hugged his godson a bit tighter. "There, now," he soothed, "it's all right. Everything is going to be all right." He heard Puck sniffle, and he promptly lowered himself to his knees so that he and the little faun youngling were at a more equal level, and Puck slid his arms around his godfather's neck and clung to him for dear life. Try as he might, he couldn't hold back the tears, and soon he was weeping pitifully into Terence's shoulder.

"Shhh," Terence whispered into the lad's ear, trying his very best to calm Puck and reassure him. "Shhhhh…don't cry, little pal. I promise you, everything will be all right." Yet inwardly, the young man was deeply troubled himself.

Exactly _how_ all right was everything going to be?


End file.
